🛡️ Africa Is Not Up for Grabs: Ending the Exploitation of Our Athletes

PROTECT THE DREAM

🛡️ Africa Is Not Up for Grabs: Ending the Exploitation of Our Athletes

By Munya Maraire, CEO of World Wide Scholarships

Africa is the next generation of superstars—unapologetically. From the dusty pitches of Soweto to the crowded academies of Accra, our youth carry the dreams of a continent. But while global football organizations celebrate Africa’s potential, a darker reality persists: exploitation, deception, and abandonment of our athletes by rogue agents and unethical systems.

As CEO of World Wide Scholarships, I’ve witnessed firsthand the manipulation of young talent—promises of European trials, scholarships, and contracts that vanish the moment a family pays a fee. These agents behave like modern-day colonizers, offering a piece of sugar for multimillion-dollar talent. It’s a dirty game, and it must end.

⚠️ The Evidence Is Clear

In Broken Dreams: Tackling the Exploitation of Young Athletes in African Sports, sports lawyer Gordon Gogo recounts the story of Amad, a 12-year-old boy lured to Italy by a fake agent. His family invested their savings, only for Amad to be abandoned in a cramped apartment with other trafficked boys. Though Amad eventually signed for Manchester United, his story is the exception. Thousands of African children are discarded by a system that treats them as disposable commodities.

The ISS Africa report reveals how transnational crime networks smuggle young footballers across North Africa, promising contracts with major clubs. Many end up stranded, forced into illegal labor, or worse—dying in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean. These are not isolated incidents. They are systemic failures.

Even domestic leagues are not immune. Young players are pushed through injuries, denied education, and subjected to physical and emotional abuse. For female athletes, the risks are even greater—sexual exploitation by coaches and officials, with no safe reporting structures.

🧭 Africa Must Reclaim Its Value

This exploitation thrives because our administrators are often ill-informed and poorly guided. That’s why World Wide Scholarships has stepped into the void. We are now the watchdog for African sport—a role long overdue.

In the very near past, we became aware of specific agents operating under false pretenses, targeting African families and federations with deceptive offers. We have closed our doors to these individuals and their networks—permanently. They will not operate under our name, nor will they access our athletes. We are drawing a clear line: Africa’s talent is not for sale.

We are launching a continent-wide initiative to:

•⁠ ⁠Expose rogue agents and blacklist unethical practices

•⁠ ⁠Educate federations and academies on international compliance and athlete rights

•⁠ ⁠Upskill coaches and administrators to properly nurture and advise talent

•⁠ ⁠Offer complimentary vetting services to athletes, families, and federations through our global legal network

📥 Submit vetting requests at: www.worldwidescholarships.com/watchdog

Let this be a warning:

Africa knows its value.

We are not up for grabs.

Our families and economies will benefit from the fruits of our homegrown talent—not from scraps handed down by exploiters.

🌍 A Call to Action

We call on FIFA, CAF, and global governing bodies to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and support grassroots education. We call on African governments to regulate agent activity and protect minors. And we call on every parent, coach, and federation to be vigilant.

The dirty game ends here.

Africa’s future is not for sale.

It is to be protected, nurtured, and celebrated.